Frequently Asked QuestionsSome of the most common questions answered

FAQ’s

We don’t carve them from hippopotamus ivory or lead anymore. Today, we use a variety of techniques using high strength dental acrylics or medical grade metal frameworks. In many respects, making dentures is becoming a lost art due to the decreasing number of patients who require this service. To a large extent, the success of a denture depends on the ability of the person wearing it to accommodate its inherent disadvantages such as; the requirement to remove and clean it daily, the possibility of small amounts of food becoming trapped under it, its movement during eating and speaking and the embarrassing risk of it falling out in public. However, there are a number of ways to minimize all of these problems. People wearing an average denture often report a great improvement to their life when an improved denture is made. The most important factor in making a good denture is allowing sufficient time to assess the unique problems faced by each individual and then to design the denture accordingly. Whilst it is possible to make a denture in one visit, if we want to achieve the best result it can often take 6 to 8 visits. Secondly, many dentists typically pass the job of making the denture to a technician, who they may have never even met. By taking control of the technical side as well, your dentist is even more likely to create the best result possible. Keith Doonan usually performs the technical construction of the dentures for his patients himself to ensure the best result.

A denture is a removable acrylic plate or metal frame that replaces one or more missing teeth. If it replaces all the teeth it is called a Full Denture and if it replaces just some of the teeth it is called a Partial Denture. Dentures have been around for many years, in fact one of George Washington’s dentures carved from hippopotamus ivory can be viewed at the Royal London Hospital Museum dated from around 1750. Dentures have to be removed daily for cleaning and this represents one of their major disadvantages.